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So many people have the nay-say attitude, they stand in your way telling you that things can’t be done, that’s not going to happen, you won’t succeed.

For many years I myself felt that I would not accomplish much, and the biggest nay-sayer was myself. I spent my early working years on a YTS scheme. For those of you not brought up during the Thatcher years in the UK, this was a way of replacing the Apprenticeship system to get people out of school and straight into work. Paying a basic limited wage with the intention of learning skills for a job. I didn’t want this to be my life, but I had bills to pay.

From the age of sixteen I have steered my own path and made of myself what I could. I am by no means an entrepreneur, but I can say that all my accomplishments have been my own. Despite being told “you can’t do that!”

The only person that knows what you are capable of, is you!

It is very easy when we are low, when we seem to keep coming up against barriers in trying to accomplish things, to fall into a pattern enforced by people who have no concept of the damage that they can do.

If I had accepted what others believed, I would never have spent eight years as a successful Club DJ. A career I loved with a passion. It was hard work. I worked late nights and usually had to follow those with long waits on station platforms waiting for a train back home.

When I became ill in 2005 and I had to make a decision to leave that life behind for something with more stability. At the time I really had no choice over that decision, so I never grieved for that loss. But what would have happened if I would have listened to the people saying that is not a real job?

It is very easy to fall into the trap of self-doubt. Let us face facts, there are many people out there that are willing to put you down and get in your way if it will further their own agenda. It can seem like every direction you turn starts to bring up a brick wall and your self-esteem starts to suffer. Don’t let it!

Next time you find yourself questioning your own abilities, or someone else does, remember, only you can know what you are truly capable of. The challenge is going beyond that boundary to accomplish something more. Then think of the satisfaction you will have of a job well done. Let us be honest to ourselves, a little bit of shameful joy at proving the nay-sayers wrong is very satisfying.

Consider also before you discredit someone else’s ideas, consider the impact that might have, and look at a different way of delivering the message.

Remaining positive is key and the Stanislavski method has some elements that can help with this. When you construct an emotion on your face and in your body posture you will actually start to feel elements of that emotion. If you start to smile you will start to feel the happier emotion itself. If you start looking angry you will feel the irritation and frustration you associate with anger. Use this method to your advantage. Next time you are feeling that low ebb, raise your head, jut out your chin, square your shoulders and challenge the world to a fight of wills you know you can win!